R Shraga Feivel Menedlovitch used to give R Gedalia Schorr different shticklach from seforim for him to learn, and provide impetus to grow in avodah. The purpose of this posting is to give a tamtzis and mareh makomos, and that chevrah should look inside and discuss their thoughts on each shtickle.

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Rav Kook- torn souls

Years ago I heard Rabbi Weinberger quote this piece from Rav Kook-I had never found it. Until this Shabbos, in Rav Tzuriel's Peninei Reiyah- p384-It was never written down by Rav Kook, he said it once to Az"ar- Alexander Zuskind Rabinovich:

"The one that said about me that my soul is torn, spoke correctly-of course it is torn. It is impossible to conceive of someone whose soul is not torn. Only inanimate matter is whole. But a person... is made of so many contradicting desires, and there is an inner battle which rages constantly within him. The entire divine service of a person is to connect the opposing sides within his soul through an all embracing thought, one so great and so uplifted that it incorporates everything within it and brings all to total harmony. It is understood, this can only be an idea which we all look toward, but to actually achieve it is outside of the reach of a mortal. But through our strivings, we move closer and closer. This is what the Mekubalim refer to as Yichudim-unifications."